Isaiah 54

A Perpetual Covenant of Peace

1 Sing, O barren, Sing, O barren, You who have not borne! Break forth into singing, and cry aloud, You who have not labored with child! For more are the children of the desolate Than the children of the married woman, says the Lord.2 Enlarge the place of your tent, And let them stretch out the curtains of your dwellings; Do not spare; Lengthen your cords, And strengthen your stakes.3 For you shall expand to the right and to the left, And your descendants will inherit the nations, And make the desolate cities inhabited.4 Do not fear, for you will not be ashamed; Neither be disgraced, for you will not be put to shame; For you will forget the shame of your youth, And will not remember the reproach of your widowhood anymore.5 For your Maker is your husband, The Lord of hosts is His name; And your Redeemer is the Holy One of Israel; He is called the God of the whole earth.6 For the Lord has called you Like a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, Like a youthful wife when you were refused, Says your God.7 For a mere moment I have forsaken you, But with great mercies I will gather you.8 With a little wrath I hid My face from you for a moment; But with everlasting kindness I will have mercy on you, Says the Lord, your Redeemer.9 For this is like the waters of Noah to Me; For as I have sworn That the waters of Noah would no longer cover the earth, So have I sworn That I would not be angry with you, nor rebuke you.10 For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed, Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.11 O you afflicted one, Tossed with tempest, and not comforted, Behold, I will lay your stones with colorful gems, And lay your foundations with sapphires.12 I will make your pinnacles of rubies, Your gates of crystal, And all your walls of precious stones.13 All your children shall be taught by the Lord, And great shall be the peace of your children.14 In righteousness you shall be established; You shall be far from oppression, for you shall not fear; And from terror, for it shall not come near you.15 Indeed they shall surely assemble, but not because of Me. Whoever assembles against you shall fall for your sake.16 Behold, I have created the blacksmith Who blows the coals in the fire, Who brings forth an instrument for his work; And I have created the spoiler to destroy.17 No weapon formed against you shall prosper, And every tongue which rises against you in judgment You shall condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, And their righteousness is from Me, Says the Lord.

ISAIAH 54

A Promise //of the [Lord]'s Protection

1  t Sing and shout,
even though you have never
had children!
The [Lord] has promised that you
will have more children
than someone married
for a long time.

2 Make your tents larger!
Spread out the tent pegs;
fasten them firmly.

3 You and your descendants
will take over the land
of other nations.
You will settle in towns
that are now in ruins.

4 Don't be afraid or ashamed
and don't be discouraged.
You won't be disappointed.
Forget how sinful you were
when you were young;
stop feeling ashamed
for being left a widow.

5 The [Lord] All-Powerful,
the Holy God of Israel,
rules all the earth.
He is your Creator and husband,
and he will rescue you.

6 You were like a young wife,
brokenhearted and crying
because her husband
had divorced her.
But the [Lord] your God says,
“I am taking you back!

7 I rejected you for a while,
but with love and tenderness
I will embrace you again.

8 For a while, I turned away
in furious anger.
Now I will have mercy
and love you forever!
I, your protector and [Lord],
make this promise.”

The [Lord] Promises //Lasting Peace

9  t I once promised Noah that I
would never again destroy
the earth by a flood.
Now I have promised that I
will never again get angry
and punish you.

10  t Every mountain and hill
may disappear.
But I will always be kind
and merciful to you;
I won't break my agreement
to give your nation peace.

The New Jerusalem

11  t t Jerusalem, you are sad
and discouraged,
tossed around in a storm.
But I, the [Lord],
will rebuild your city
with precious stones;t
for your foundation
I will use blue sapphires.

12 Your fortressest
will be built of rubies,
your gates of jewels,
and your walls of gems.

13  t I will teach your children
and make them successful.

14 You will be built on fairness
with no fears of injustice;
every one of your worries
will be taken far from you.

15 I will never send anyone
to attack your city,
and you will make prisoners
of those who do attack.

16 Don't forget that I created
metalworkers who make weapons
over burning coals.
I also created armies
that can bring destruction.

17 Weapons made to attack you
won't be successful;
words spoken against you
won't hurt at all.
My servants, Jerusalem is yours!
I, the [Lord], promise
to bless you with victory.